Sawt Falasteen - Ukraine left scrambling after US says halting some arms shipments

The Ukrainian defence ministry, which is deeply dependent on US arms, said it had not been prior notified about the reduction in aid announced one day earlier.

Moscow revelled in the decision, saying that it could bring the end of the war closer. Any slowdown in US support could harm Kyiv's ability to fend off escalating Russian aerial bombardments or frontline gains.

Kyiv has long feared halts to US aid after Donald Trump returned to the White House in January, having criticised the tens of billions of dollars in support and weapons sent by his predecessor, Joe Biden.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an evening address that Kyiv and Washington were clarifying details on supplies.

"Continued American support for Ukraine, for our defence, for our people is in our common interest," he said.

Washington's announcement prompted fear among Kyiv residents and warnings from experts that Ukrainian cities would be much more vulnerable to Russian air attacks.

The US-made Patriot is now "a critical weapon which is impossible to get from Europe" and which Ukraine cannot substitute for now, said researcher Mykhailo Samus, director of the New Geopolitics Research Network, a Kyiv think tank.

"Russian missiles will destroy Ukrainian cities" if Kyiv loses the ability to use Patriots, Samus told AFP.

"It will be even more scary, even more painful, and even more civilians will suffer" if weapons supplies are reduced, Kyiv resident Yevgenia Prysiazhna told AFP, pointing to an increase in overnight drone and missile attacks on Ukraine.

"I really hope that this is a temporary decision," the communications manager said.

The foreign ministry summoned John Ginkel, the deputy chief of mission at the US embassy in Kyiv, in a rare diplomatic move that is usually reserved for foes and rivals, not vital allies, such is the uncertainty about what the cuts would mean for Kyiv.

Politico and other US media reported that missiles for Patriot air defence systems, precision artillery and Hellfire missiles are among the items being held back.

The White House had said that it was halting some key weapons shipments promised by the previous US administration, without elaborating.

Under Biden, Washington spearheaded Western support for Ukraine, with Congress having approved more than $100 billion in aid, including $43 billion in weaponry.

Trump instead has pushed the two sides into peace talks, including in phone calls with Russian President Vladimir Putin -- who rejected pleas for a ceasefire and demanded that Ukraine cede more territory if it wants Moscow to halt its invasion, which was launched in 2022.

- 'Consistent pressure' -

The US president has refused to announce new aid packages and Kyiv has been corralling Washington's European allies to step up their support.

Kyiv remains "seriously dependent" on US arms supplies, a high-ranking source in the Ukrainian military told AFP.

"Europe is doing its best, but it will be difficult for us without American ammunition," the source added.

A May report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) said that Europe "had only made limited progress" in strengthening its defence industries.

But it said that "continued US aid remains extremely important for Ukraine's long-term effectiveness on the battlefield."

In Moscow, the Kremlin said that reducing weapons deliveries to Kyiv would help end the conflict.

"The fewer the number of weapons that are delivered to Ukraine, the closer the end of the special military operation," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters in response to a question by AFP, using Russia's term for its more than three-year-long offensive.

The White House told AFP in an email that the decision to reduce shipments was taken following a "review of our nation's military support and assistance to other countries".

Kyiv said that it was caught off-guard by the move. The defence ministry said that the country had "not received any official notifications" on the issue.

- Escalating drone attacks -

Russia ramped up attacks on Ukraine in June, launching nearly twice as many missiles and more than 30 percent more drones than in May, according to an AFP analysis of Ukrainian air force data.

Kyiv was in June subjected to at least four fatal attacks that left more than 40 people dead. Its residents are worried that a cessation of US aid would leave the capital even more vulnerable.

"We had gotten used to seeing America as a country of values, a country that defends democracy," Igor Stambol, a Kyiv resident, told AFP.

"But there is hope that they will remember their values," the 36-year-old added.

W.Mansour--SF-PST